How to Watch Your Carbs

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Low- and controlled-carb diets are often effective for weight loss and blood sugar control. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, reducing your carbohydrates to less than 35 percent of your daily calorie intake typically results in a reduced calorie intake, leading to more weight and fat loss than other reduced-calorie diets over a period of six months. Watching your carbohydrate intake involves familiarizing yourself with high-carb foods and reading food labels.

Reduce Sugars

Perhaps the easiest way to reduce your overall carbohydrate intake is to reduce the amount of sugars and sweets you eat each day. These may include candy, desserts, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, syrups, jellies, jams, regular soda, sweet tea, other sugary drinks and fruit juices.

Limit Starches

Starches contain a significant amount of carbohydrates and are found in breads, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, rice, pasta, crackers, fruit, peas, corn, legumes, milk and yogurt. Although most of these carbohydrate-containing foods should be included in a healthy meal plan, consuming too many foods from this group can cause you to overshoot your daily carbohydrate allotment. The American Diabetes Association encourages people with diabetes to consume no more than 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal, depending on what their doctor approves.

Don't Deprive Yourself

The human body requires carbohydrates on a daily basis to function properly. Mayo Clinic reports that low-carb diets generally require followers to consume 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day. However, the Institute of Medicine encourages all adults to consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrates every day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 encourage children and adults to consume between 45 and 65 percent of their daily calories from carbs, which is equivalent to 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

Choose High-Fiber Carbs

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that provides heart-healthy benefits and aids in weight management. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most Americans consume an average of 15 grams of fiber each day, but adequate intake levels for adult men and women are 38 grams and 25 grams of fiber per day, respectively. Heart-healthy, high-fiber foods include whole grains, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, legumes, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Read Food Labels

Food labels on packaged foods list the amount of total carbohydrates, sugars and dietary fiber contained in one serving size of the food. Carbohydrates are listed in grams on food labels. The "net," or digestible carbs in a serving equals the total carbohydrates in grams minus the grams of fiber listed.

About the Author

Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and has extensive experience working as a health writer and health educator. Her articles are published on various health, nutrition and fitness websites.